Aretha Franklin – THE QUEEN OF SOUL!

Aretha Louise Franklin (March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Franklin began her career as a child singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan where her father C. L. Franklin was minister. At age 18, she embarked on a secular career recording for Columbia Records. However, she achieved only modest success. Franklin found commercial success and acclaim after signing with Atlantic Records in 1966. Hit songs such as “Respect”, “Chain of Fools”, “Think”, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”, “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)”, and “I Say a Little Prayer”, propelled Franklin past her musical peers. By the end of the 1960s, Aretha Franklin had come to be known as “The Queen of Soul“.

On August 13, 2018, Franklin was reported to be gravely ill at her home in Riverfront Towers, Detroit. She was under hospice care and surrounded by friends and family. Stevie Wonder, Jesse Jackson and ex-husband Glynn Turman visited her on her deathbed.Franklin died at her home on August 16, 2018, aged 76.The cause was reported to be pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor .The day of her death, Franklin’s granddaughter Victorie Franklin posted a tribute to her grandmother on social media. Numerous celebrities in the entertainment industry and politicians paid tribute to Franklin, including former U.S. president Barack Obama who said she “helped define the American experience”.Civil rights activist and minister Al Sharpton called her a “civil rights and humanitarian icon”.

The Queen Of Soul overall was an extremely over accomplished woman who became very well adored by everyone who crossed paths with her. Her legacy will live on for many years to come she will be truly missed.